Is Your Manicure Ruining Your Nails?

The answer: Unfortunately, yes. The good news: These manicure tips should solve your nail problems

You're using a toxic nail polish If you're having nail problems, there are three chemicals commonly found in polishes that you should avoid: toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and formaldehyde. "I have patients come in all the time thinking they have a fungal infection, but it's not -- it's actually damage from commercial polishes," says Spielfogel. "These polishes strip all the moisture from your nails and cause discoloration."

My parents always warned me of the dangers of chemicals--now I'm sensitive to the smell of polish. I love my gel manicures and hate to give them up; usually the polish just "falls off" in sheets by itself.